The widespread adoption of iOS and Android devices has led to massive changes in the retail portable game category. With smartphone and tablet sales on the rise, game app downloads hugely popular, and cloud gaming poised to take off, the future of mobile gaming looks very rosy indeed.

Here are a few entertaining facts and figures to celebrate the kick-off of our U.S. mobile phone gaming survey late last week. For a chance to win an Amazon Kindle Fire, complete the survey.

Mobile gaming revenue will hit $1.5 billion in a couple of years.
According to a study by market research firm Mintel, U.S. mobile phone and tablet gaming sales hit $898 million in 2010, doubling 2005 figures.

Both Mintel and eMarketer are forecasting revenues to top $1.5 billion by 2014-15.

Angry Birds racks up 1.825 billion hours of game time each month year…

The widespread adoption of iOS and Android devices has led to massive changes in the retail portable game category. With smartphone and tablet sales on the rise, game app downloads hugely popular, and cloud gaming poised to take off, the future of mobile gaming looks very rosy indeed.

Mobile gaming revenue will hit $1.5 billion in a couple of years.
According to a study by market research firm Mintel, U.S. mobile phone and tablet gaming sales hit $898 million in 2010, doubling 2005 figures.

We thought we’d do something a bit different for the weekend, because not everybody is actually working during the weekend. And even if we do, we deserve a break from time to time. For just this occasion, we have poured across the four corners of the Web and amassed a collection of retro games to help you make the absolute most of your break time this weekend… and possibly any break time you take from this day forth.

Now you’re ready to take some time off and unplug, let’s stroll down memory lane, the gaming way. Focusing on the days of the old DOS-based games, we sourced some emulators so that you could revisit your old favorites once again without having to downgrade your machine. So flex some willpower (or kiss your weekend goodbye) and dive into the deep end of this DOS-day throwback to get your ROM on.

We thought we’d do something a bit different for the weekend, because not everybody is actually working during the weekend. And even if we do, we deserve a break from time to time. For just this occasion, we have poured across the four corners of the Web and amassed a collection of retro games to help you make the absolute most of your break time this weekend… and possibly any break time you take from this day forth.

Now you’re ready to take some time off and unplug, let’s stroll down memory lane, the gaming way. Focusing on the days of the old DOS-based games, we sourced some emulators so that you could revisit your old favorites once again without having to downgrade your machine. So flex some willpower (or kiss your weekend goodbye) and dive into the deep end of this DOS-day throwback to get your ROM on.

Game Showcase

Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is a 2-D platformer with run and jump game play. Your hero must avoid deadly traps, solve some simple puzzles and engage in sword fights with guards. As the hero, you have an infinite number of lives, but you have to restart the level every time you die, and you must complete the game within an hour. The very fluid animation of your character is especially noteworthy. The game is still available for free downloading.

Introduced in 2009, Master Lock’s Speed Dial is the first “directional” combination lock. It replaces a series of numbers with a sequence of up-down and left-right movements (like a video-game cheat). We talked to Lea Plato, one of the designers who worked on the lock, about how the lock came to be and why it’s easier to use than what we’re all used to.

Co.Design: The Speed Dial lock does away with numerical combinations and replaces them with left-to-right and up-and-down movements. What inspired the change?

Lea Plato: The combination lock for lockers has been around for so long, so Master Lock is trying to push different ideas. The Speed Dial is a very different and unexpected design. That’s what attracted us to the idea.

The face of the lock—just four arrows—is clean and straightforward. How did that design come about?

We were trying to play off of simplicity. We wanted the appearance of the lock to match that simplicity. It’s really basic—up, down, left, and right—and easy to remember. So nothing too fancy.

The center button has a nice accent ring around it to show that this is what you push on to make the movements. And the arrows are really simple triangles to suggest which direction you should be moving it in. A lot of the design of the actual body of the lock is driven by the interior mechanism. But we also wanted to give it a nice round shape so it fits well in your hand and it’s easy to move that button up and down.

Another thing we focused on is how everyone could use it. A lot of the numbers are too small for people to see. If you’re visually impaired, you don’t have to see anything to be able to open this lock. Or if your dexterity isn’t very good, the lock is still easy to use. We wanted the lock to be something that everyone can use without making it look like it was designed for just one person in particular.

Introduced in 2009, Master Lock’s Speed Dial is the first “directional” combination lock. It replaces a series of numbers with a sequence of up-down and left-right movements (like a video-game cheat). We talked to Lea Plato, one of the designers who worked on the lock, about how the lock came to be and why it’s easier to use than what we’re all used to.

Co.Design: The Speed Dial lock does away with numerical combinations and replaces them with left-to-right and up-and-down movements. What inspired the change?

Lea Plato: The combination lock for lockers has been around for so long, so Master Lock is trying to push different ideas. The Speed Dial is a very different and unexpected design. That’s what attracted us to the idea.

The face of the lock—just four arrows—is clean and straightforward. How did that design come about?

We were trying to play off of simplicity. We wanted the appearance of the lock to match that simplicity. It’s really basic—up, down, left, and right—and easy to remember. So nothing too fancy.

The center button has a nice accent ring around it to show that this is what you push on to make the movements. And the arrows are really simple triangles to suggest which direction you should be moving it in. A lot of the design of the actual body of the lock is driven by the interior mechanism. But we also wanted to give it a nice round shape so it fits well in your hand and it’s easy to move that button up and down.

Another thing we focused on is how everyone could use it. A lot of the numbers are too small for people to see. If you’re visually impaired, you don’t have to see anything to be able to open this lock. Or if your dexterity isn’t very good, the lock is still easy to use. We wanted the lock to be something that everyone can use without making it look like it was designed for just one person in particular. Leer más “How Do You Reinvent Something as Common as the Padlock?”

Although it can be difficult to rally enough energy after a tough day, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to get off the couch, turn off the TV and find something better to do (sorry to sound so much like your mother, but she was right). If you’re drawing a blank on what else to do with your time, don’t worry. We’ve got a few ways to relax that will help you feel less like a soulless blob and more like a happy, fulfilled human being… [Más…]

1. Just go to sleep.
2. Take a bath, soak in a hot tub or relax in a steam room.
3. Change into your comfiest clothes.
4. Listen to soothing music.
5. Cook one of your favorite recipes for dinner.
6. Go for a walk in a park or take a short hike.
7. Kick it up a notch and go for a run instead.
8. Play a sport with friends like Frisbee golf, soccer or basketball.
9. Try yoga or do some gentle stretches.
10. Visit Oprah.com for guided meditation podcasts.
11. Light scented candles.
12. Look through old photo albums.
13. Write in your journal, try art journaling or make a collage.

Do you ever feel like a zombie after a long day at work? You feel so depleted and tired. You hardly have any energy left at all. The only thing you want to do is eat comfort food, pop open a brewski and watch television until bedtime.

We’ve all been there. Zoning out in front of the TV can be a great way to relax, but more often than not, it just makes you feel even more useless. Sitting immobile on the couch for extended periods of time can reinforce your own sense of helplessness and exhaustion, especially if it becomes your regular evening routine.

Although it can be difficult to rally enough energy after a tough day, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to get off the couch, turn off the TV and find something better to do (sorry to sound so much like your mother, but she was right). If you’re drawing a blank on what else to do with your time, don’t worry. We’ve got a few ways to relax that will help you feel less like a soulless blob and more like a happy, fulfilled human being… Leer más “55 Ways to Relax After Work”

In this article, we’ll explore the relationship between the game of chess and the Web industry. We’ll learn fundamental lessons from the pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen and king, and we’ll highlight the factors — both offline and online — that determine best practices. The game is beloved by many professionals, so it seems fitting to apply its great strategy and elegance to the digital age; certain practices might help you lead a more successful working life.

The business of building websites is one of constant change, adaptation and strategy. The way designers and developers build websites is often informed by the methods of others and their own trial and error. In light of this, we can draw a number of parallels — some philosophical, to a certain extent — between Web professionals and one of the oldest and most popular board games of all time (counting traditional and digital games). This game is chess.

In this article, we’ll explore the relationship between the game of chess and the Web industry. We’ll learn fundamental lessons from the pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen and king, and we’ll highlight the factors — both offline and online — that determine best practices. The game is beloved by many professionals, so it seems fitting to apply its great strategy and elegance to the digital age; certain practices might help you lead a more successful working life.